Trick or Treat | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Modena, Italy |
| Genres | Power metal |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Valery Records |
| Members | Alessandro Conti Guido Benedetti Luca Venturelli Leone Villani Conti Luca Setti |
| Past members | Nicola Tomei Mirko Virdis Luca Cabri |
| Website | trickortreatband |
Trick or Treat is an Italian power metal band formed in 2002 in Modena. The group's line-up has been mostly the same since its inception, except for the drummer position, which underwent changes in 2006 and 2011, and in 2014 guitarist and founding member Luca Cabri left the band and was replaced by Luca Venturelli.
So far, they have released seven studio albums.
The band started in 2002 as a Helloween tribute band. After some years performing in clubs around Italy, they recorded a four-track demo (Like Donald Duck) and signed a deal with Valery Records, [1] through which they have released their debut album in 2005, Evil Needs Candy Too. A subsequent tour was started, with shows in Europe and USA. [1] In the meanwhile, Mirko Virdis substituted Luca Tomei at the drums.
In 2008 Trick or Treat recorded their second album, Tin Soldiers, featuring former Helloween singer Michael Kiske [2] and former Vision Divine vocalist Michele Luppi. [3] The album reached the 260th position in the Japanese charts. [4]
In 2010 Trick or Treat were chosen via internet pool as part of the "emergent section" of the Italian Gods of Metal festival. [5]
Between December 2010 and January 2011, the band opened several of the dates of the European leg of The 7 Sinners World Tour 2010/2011, with Helloween and Stratovarius. [6]
On 26 November 2012, they released their third album, Rabbits' Hill, Pt 1, with guest performances of Andre Matos (Viper, Avantasia, ex-Angra, ex-Symfonia), Fabio Dessi (Arthemis), Damnagoras (Elvenking) and Maurizio (Folkstone). The album is a concept album inspired by Richard Adams' novel Watership Down . [1] In October 2014, guitarist and founding member Luca Cabri left the band for personal reasons; he was subsequently replaced by Luca Venturelli, from Mad Maze. [7] In 2016, they released the second part of the story started in their third album: Rabbits' Hill, Pt 2, with guest performances of Sara Squadrani (Ancient Bards), Tim "Ripper" Owens (ex-Judas Priest, ex-Iced Earth, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen) and Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica). [8]
On 7 March 2020 former drummer Mirko Virdis died at age 38 after crashing his car in Formigine. [9] [10] On 28 April of the same year, they released their fifth all-original studio album, The Legend of the XII Saints, containing songs inspired by Saint Seiya and based on each of the Zodiac signs. [11]
In January 2022, they announced their seventh studio album, Creepy Symphonies, which should be released on 1 April. The first, self-titled single was released on 28 February. [12]
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weikath and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg. By the time Hansen quit Helloween in 1989 to form Gamma Ray, the band had evolved into a five-piece, with Michael Kiske taking over as lead vocalist. Schwichtenberg and Kiske both parted ways with Helloween in 1993; Schwichtenberg died two years later as the result of suicide. Between then and 2016, there had been numerous line-up changes, leaving Grosskopf and Weikath as the only remaining original members. As a septet, their current lineup includes four-fifths of the Keeper of the Seven Keys: Parts I and II-era (1987–1988) lineup, featuring three additional members, vocalist Andi Deris, guitarist Sascha Gerstner and drummer Daniel Löble.
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released fifteen studio albums, four DVDs and five live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after founding guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008, there are no founding members of the band that remain. Currently, the longest standing member is singer Timo Kotipelto, who joined in 1994.
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contrast with the heaviness and dissonance prevalent, for example, in extreme metal. Power metal bands usually have anthem-like songs with fantasy-based subject matter and strong choruses, thus creating a theatrical, dramatic and emotionally "powerful" sound.
The Metal Opera is the first full-length album by Tobias Sammet's German supergroup project, Avantasia. It is a concept album and a rock opera. The album is followed by the sequel The Metal Opera Part II. Both were written over the course of a year, starting in the last quarter of 1998, and both were produced from October 1999 to June 2000, with the works being interrupted for some weeks so Sammet could produce The Savage Poetry with his other band Edguy.
Kai Michael Hansen is a German musician who is the founder, lead guitarist and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray. He is also one of the co-founders of metal band Helloween, which he rejoined in 2016. He is a prominent figure in power metal and has sold millions of albums worldwide. He is regarded as "the godfather of power metal", having founded two seminal bands in the genre. In 2011, he joined the band Unisonic featuring former Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske. Hansen and Kiske reunited with Helloween in 2017 for a world tour with all current members, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of release of the albums Keeper of the Seven Keys Parts I and II.
Masterplan is a German progressive power metal band founded by guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch upon leaving Helloween in 2001.
Timo Tapio Tolkki is a Finnish musician best known as the former guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer of the power metal band Stratovarius. With his tenure lasting for more than twenty years, he was the longest standing member of the band before his departure in 2008. After leaving Stratovarius he formed two supergroups named Revolution Renaissance and Symfonia, both of which have since disbanded. In a 2011 article by Guitar World magazine, Tolkki was included in the all-time top 50 list of the world's fastest guitarists.
Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I is the second studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1987. It marks the first appearance of vocalist Michael Kiske, and is considered the album that created the genre of European-style power metal.
Michael Kiske is a German singer and lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween. Kiske has released four solo albums, two albums with the hard rock band Unisonic, has participated on various metal and rock related projects, such as Avantasia, Place Vendome and Kiske/Somerville and has also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist.
Chameleon is the fifth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1993. It is their most musically adventurous release, but also their least commercially successful, and is their last studio album to feature singer Michael Kiske until 2021's self-titled album, as well as their last with original drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg. It was Schwichtenberg's last album to be recorded during his lifetime. This was also the last album on EMI Records.
Andre Coelho Matos was a Brazilian singer and musician. He was involved in the heavy metal bands Viper, Angra, Shaman and Symfonia. Since 2006, Matos had been dedicating his time to his solo career. In 2012, he was ranked No. 77 at the list of 100 Greatest Voices of Brazilian Music by Rolling Stone Brasil.
Ola Sven Halén is a Swedish metal vocalist, currently with the melodic power metal band Shadows Past. Between 2002 and 2010, he was the lead singer of the Stockholm-based power metal band Insania.
The Metal Opera Pt. II is the second full-length album by Tobias Sammet's German supergroup project, Avantasia. It is a concept album and a rock opera. The songs carry on the story begun in The Metal Opera, with the same characters. Both albums were written over the course of a year, starting in the last quarter of 1998, and both were produced from October 1999 to June 2000, with the works being interrupted for some weeks so Sammet could produce The Savage Poetry with his other band Edguy.
"I Want Out" is a song by the German power metal band Helloween from the album Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2, that was released as a single in 1988.
Mikko Härkin is a Finnish power metal keyboardist, who has performed with Sonata Arctica and Kenziner.
Place Vendome is a German melodic hard rock / AOR project, founded in 2004 at the direction of Frontiers Records president Serafino Perugino.
Unisonic is a German hard rock/power metal supergroup, founded on 10 November 2009 by Helloween singer Michael Kiske alongside Dennis Ward and Kosta Zafiriou from Pink Cream 69 and Mandy Meyer, formerly in Asia and Gotthard. In 2011 the band was joined by Gamma Ray leader and Helloween co-founder, Kai Hansen.
The Land of New Hope is the first full-length album by Timo Tolkki's Finnish metal opera project Avalon. The album was released on May 17, 2013 in Europe and May 21, 2013 in the US.
Helloween is the sixteenth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released on 18 June 2021. The album is the first released with the "Pumpkins United" line-up, which marked the return of original member Kai Hansen on guitars and vocals and Michael Kiske on vocals in 2016, in addition to the five-member line-up active since 2005.
